by Webster, K
I let out an annoyed growl and give him a shove. The fucker just laughs harder.
“My bad,” he says. “Nice to meet you…”
“Lauren.” Her eyes leave him and she burns me with a glare.
“Right, so I’m going to go take a piss. Meet you back over by the weights in a minute.” He bounces off and my tension leaves with him.
“Yours?” she implores.
I run my fingers through my sweaty hair and grit my teeth. “He’s a player. If I didn’t claim you, he’d already have your number and you’d fall into his sex trap.”
She snorts. “Sex trap? Sounds kinky.”
“Virgin girls don’t belong in sex traps. I was protecting you.”
“So noble,” she taunts. “And here I thought it was because you wanted me all for yourself.”
I’m about to retreat and leave her before I do something idiotic like kiss her, when she makes a strange sound. She sways and frantically grips the front of my soaked shirt.
“I need air,” she whispers against my neck.
Curling my arm around her, I guide her out the side door and into the warm April late evening. There’s nowhere to sit, so I walk her over to a shady area and help her sit down on the concrete. She crosses her legs, and with her elbows on her knees, she buries her face in her palms. I kneel beside her and stroke my fingers through her ponytail.
“Talk to me,” I say gently. “I can’t help you unless you talk to me.”
Her shoulders shake as she cries silently. Anxiety ripples through me.
“Can we just sit and watch the sunset?” she whispers.
“Are you going to faint or become sick?”
“I’m better already.”
“I’ll do it on one condition.”
She lifts her head and stares at me wearily. I reach forward and brush away a rogue tear with my thumb.
“What’s the condition?” she asks.
“You call me the next time you feel sick.”
Her nostrils flare. “I’ll watch the sunset alone.”
Grumbling, I sit down on my ass beside her. “Are you always this fucking stubborn?”
“Always,” she sasses, flashing me a pretty smile that no doubt gets her out of lots of trouble.
“No one should have to watch a sunset alone,” I grunt out. “And no one should suffer through something by themselves. All I’m asking is for you to talk to me. As a friend, not as a doctor.”
Her body relaxes as she leans her head against my shoulder. “Fine.”
This time, I like the word. I like it a lot.
Lauren
Oranges and pinks light up the sky as night chases the sun into hiding. My world calms as I watch the sunset. It’s the one thing that reminds me most of Mom. We’d sit on the back porch and watch it together. Dad and Landon don’t have the patience for it. Now that she’s gone, I haven’t watched one with anyone. Sitting with Daniel feels right and peaceful.
“It’s okay to let people help you,” he says softly. “I want to help you.”
Pain cuts through my chest and I suppress a sob. “I thought it’d go away.”
His hand finds mine and we thread our fingers together. It feels anything but friendly or doctorly, but the connection warms me, so I cling to his hold on me.
“Thought what would go away?” he asks, brushing his thumb over my hand. “Tell me.”
“The constant pain. The headaches. The blood.”
“Blood?”
I tremble as I shrug. “Yeah.”
“In your urine?”
Oh geez. It’s easy to forget he’s an ER doctor when he’s sweaty, holding my hand, and watching a sunset with me.
“Yep.”
He pulls away slightly to burn his intense green eyes into me. “Lauren, you need to see a doctor about this.”
I let out a harsh laugh. “Looking at one right now.”
He flashes me a crooked grin. “Smartass.”
“Better than being a dumbass,” I argue with a smile of my own.
I’ll take playful banter over serious health talks any day of the week.
“Will you make an appointment to see your physician? Please?”
“Yeah,” I utter. “I guess.”
“Good,” he says, letting out a harsh breath of relief. “We’ll exchange numbers and I can check up on you. I’d feel better about that.”
My eyes drop to his full lips, lingering for a long moment before finding his eyes again. “Were you serious about just being there to talk?”
He leans forward, and for a split second, my heart leaps hoping he’ll kiss me. Instead, he rests his forehead to mine. “Absolutely. We’ll go back inside and exchange numbers. Maybe even meet up for dinner one day to catch up.”
I smile. “Sounds an awful lot like a date, Dr. Dan.”
“Maybe we ought to get your ears checked too,” he teases.
I swat at him and he laughs.
We missed the sunset, but I don’t mind. Staring at Daniel’s handsome face is pretty nice too.
I suck down a water bottle, but my stomach is killing me. I’m afraid to read up on it on the Internet, so I settle for period pains. Yep, definitely period pains. Too bad I had my period last week.
It’s been two days since I saw Daniel at the gym, and he’s checked on me via text each day. I haven’t reached out to him yet. Something in me implores me to do so.
Me: Whatcha doin’, Dr. Dan?
He doesn’t respond and it makes me wonder if he’s at work. I writhe around on the bed until the urge to pee hits me hard. Groaning, I climb out of bed and stumble to the bathroom. I sit down on the toilet, but the pee doesn’t come. Everything aches and when I finally manage to pee, it feels like a horrible effort. The water clouds with pink, indicating more blood.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
A whimper claws up my throat.
Denial is getting me nowhere.
After wiping and washing my hands, I text Daniel again.
Me: Definitely blood in my urine. Everything hurts.
Fifteen minutes later, my phone buzzes.
Daniel: I’m at work so I missed your texts. Have your brother bring you in.
Me: He’s not here. Movies with Callie.
Daniel: Your dad?
Me: Houston for work.
Daniel: Give me your address.
I stare at the text, shaking my head.
Me: I am not going in another ambulance. I’m fine.
Daniel: So help me, Lauren, next time you use that word, I’m going to spank you. Give me your damn address so I can come get you.
Holy shit, he’s pissed.
With a heavy, resigned sigh, I shoot him my address.
I wake to fingers on my throat, confused at how much time has passed. I must have fallen asleep after texting him.
“Shh. Lie still. I’m checking your pulse,” Daniel says softly, perched on the bed beside me.
I squint at him. Tonight he’s not in scrubs. He’s wearing a white lab coat over slacks, a white dress shirt, and a green tie. Dang, he looks hot.
“Your pulse is erratic,” he murmurs.
“Not my fault you came in looking like a damn snack.”
He doesn’t laugh at my joke. He’s too busy frowning in concerned doctor mode.
“How did your mother die?” he asks abruptly as though the question doesn’t rattle me to my core.
“What?”
“You heard me.”
I roll away from him, pulling my pillow to my face. Hot tears flood my eyes and soak the pillow. The bed sinks and his warm body envelops mine. Strong fingers stroke through my hair in a gentle, comforting way.
“Let me help you, honey.”
Honey.
My heart flutters at the name.
Releasing the pillow, I roll onto my back. Our eyes meet, intense and heated. He runs his fingertip along my cheek and sighs.
“Please, Lauren.”
Tears prickle my eyes again. My bottom lip wobbl
es as the pain inside my heart begs for release. But the pain of losing your mother can’t be unleashed into the wild. No, it stays caged. Punished and abused.
“Kidney failure. She had kidney disease.”
His features grow stormy. “Jesus fucking Christ. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
A sob chokes my throat. “B-Because saying my fears makes them true. I c-can’t let this be true.”
He leans forward and brushes his lips across mine in the softest of kisses. “We’re going to the hospital and you’re going to let me help you. No more hiding.”
Hot tears leak from my eyes. “I’m scared.”
“Me too,” he admits, vulnerability on his handsome face making him seem decades younger. “But I’m going to fix you. Trust me.”
The doctors couldn’t fix Mom.
But when his lips press to mine more firmly, I can’t help but stupidly allow hope to flood through me. I part my lips and he takes the invitation to swipe his tongue across mine.
Minty.
Yum.
His palm is strong and powerful as he cradles my cheek. Our lips move eagerly together, while our tongues thrash against one another. When a low groan of need pulses through me, Daniel pulls abruptly away.
“I shouldn’t have kissed you,” he whispers, his eyes betraying his words as they linger at my swollen lips. “It’s not right.”
“Felt pretty right to me,” I argue.
He scrubs his face with his palm. “I’m your doctor.”
Rolling my eyes, I try to pull him to me for another kiss, but he breaks away. “Come on. Let’s get you to the hospital.”
Rejection stings, but the pain searing through my abdomen is worse. It’s the only reason I allow him to pull me up and to take me to get the dreaded tests. Something tells me things will get worse before they get better. And there’s no more denying that fact.
Daniel falls into doctor mode easily now that I’ve given him a bone to chase after. While I sit in the hospital bed, anxiously awaiting the results of many tests he ordered, I can’t help but be angry at myself for agreeing to this. When he was in my bed looking good enough to eat, I would’ve agreed to anything to get him to stay there. It’s easy to forget outside of the hospital who he is. But in this sterile bed, I’m quickly reminded of who I’ve recently befriended.
Friends.
Yeah, right.
When I’d seen him at the gym looking sweaty and all his muscles were on glorious display, I’d wanted anything but friendship. I wanted him to strip me down right then and fuck me into the rubber mats as he greedily stole my virginity. But I’d let my secret slip and now I’m nothing more than a problem to be solved.
“We should call your dad,” he says, his voice firm as he reenters the room.
“No,” I snip. “He’s working.”
Daniel’s features tighten. “I don’t give a damn if he’s working. This is important, Lauren.”
I shrug, fighting tears in my eyes. “I guess.”
He stalks over to me and gently grips my jaw. “Stop.”
“Stop what?”
“Stop it with the walls.”
A tear slips from my eye, racing down my cheek. “Am I going to die?”
My words make him flinch and he releases me. “Not if I can help it.”
“Not comforting, Dr. Dan.”
He sits on the edge of the bed and grips my hand. “I won’t sugarcoat it, honey. Your bloodwork and urinalysis came back. Not good. Kidney infection.”
I wince at his words.
“I want to send you in for an ultrasound of your kidneys. The ultrasound will give us a better picture.”
The curtain opens and he tugs his hand from mine to greet the nurse I now know as Lin. Daniel stands so that she can do her job of starting an IV.
“Antibiotics,” he explains. “I will want to keep you overnight so we can make sure the antibiotics are working. But here shortly, I want them to do an ultrasound on your kidneys so we can rule out anything terrible.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “Please call your dad.”
I grit my teeth. “Do what you have to do. I’ll text Dad later.” Later as in I’ll talk to him when he gets home next week.
Daniel scowls at me, clearly onto my lies. “Fine.”
“Fine,” I bite back.
But nothing is fine.
Daniel
Of course the day I finally get her to agree to tests, triage is a fucking nightmare. I’ve put in the order for an ultrasound, but she’s on a list behind sixteen other people. With each patient I see, I’m distracted with worry. Hours fly by and when I peek into her room, she’s gone.
Finally.
I’m assessing a kid’s wrist to see if he broke it when Lin taps me on the shoulder.
“Ummm, Dr. Venable?”
“Yep,” I say, not looking up at her.
“She left.”
This grabs my attention. I snap my head up. “What?”
“Lauren left.”
I grit my teeth through the rest of my assessment before ordering an X-ray. Then, I storm over to find Lin at the nurse’s station.
“Who cleared her to leave?” I growl.
She holds up both palms in defense. “Her dad showed up. Dr. Wilkins went to meet with him when her father started throwing a fit. Wilkins prescribed her antibiotics and discharged her.”
“Before or after the ultrasound?”
“Before. She would’ve still been waiting for that at least two more hours.”
I run my fingers through my hair and then pull out my phone.
Me: You left? Really?
She responds immediately.
Lauren: It’s technically the next day. I stayed overnight. I’m going to make an appointment with my doctor tomorrow.
Me: That was really stupid. You’re sick.
Lauren: Fuck you too.
With a huff of frustration, I stuff my phone back in my pocket. “Where’s my next patient?”
Lin points to triage six and I storm away. There’s no point in getting pissy now. She’s gone and my shift won’t be over for a few more hours.
Two weeks later…
“You should have bought my car from me. It’s time for an upgrade,” Morris taunts, driving me up a fucking wall.
“My daughter doesn’t need your sex trap car.” I give him a pointed look. “She’d get pregnant just sitting in it.”
“She’s already pregnant and that had nothing to do with me.” He snorts. “If I didn’t think that new husband of hers wouldn’t gut me, I’d try to get her in my car just to piss you off.”
“I’ll gut you with the pen in your pocket, motherfucker. Me. Not Enzo. Your superior.”
The asshole laughs so hard he chokes.
I’m not as amused. I’ve got a lot of shit on my mind lately. Jenna recently decided to commit a felony, get pregnant, and get married all in the span of a few weeks. To top that off, I’m trying my hand at fostering. All for my daughter. I’d do anything for her. And I’ll continue to do so.
But that’s a story for another day…
Today, my mind is pulled in one direction.
Lauren.
I know I pissed her off when we texted a couple of weeks ago because she’s since stopped responding. Now that I’ve cooled off, my anger is replaced by worry. I’m off tonight, so I’ll go try and talk to her in person.
My phone buzzes, but I can’t answer it because triage goes wild with activity. A city bus side swiped a row of cars and now we have people piling into the ER with various injuries. Morris and I fall into action, treating everything from scrapes on the head from hitting the window to possible broken necks.
Hours go by and my phone rings a few more times. When my shift ends, I check my phone to see Mom’s been trying to get ahold of me. I slip into the break room and dial her back.
“Hey,” I say in greeting. “Everything okay?”
“I’d be happier if you’d answer your phone the first time.”
�
��I’m at work, Mother.”
“You must have been dealing with that accident that was all over the news, hmm?”
“Yep.” I scrub my palm over my face. “What do you need?”
“I wanted you to confirm that you and Jenna will be over on Sunday.”
“Sunday?”
A sigh of exasperation rattles through the line. “I’ll allow you a moment to think, son.”
“Mom…” I’m really fucking tired and don’t have time for this shit.
“It’s Mother’s Day,” she huffs. “You asked Jenna, right?”
Well, fuck.
“I forgot, but I will. I’m sorry.”
“You’re normally my extremely responsible son, so I’ll forgive you this time.” She chuckles. “Hopefully your shift ends soon so you can get some rest. You clearly need it.”
“I’ll be there whether Jenna can make it or not. Should I bring anything?”
“A daughter-in-law would be nice.”
Here we go. “Mom…”
“I’m teasing.”
She’s not.
“Right. I’ll see you Sunday. Love you,” I say quickly and hang up before she can take me on another guilt trip.
I text Jenna before I forget.
Me: Hey, sweetheart. Your grandma wants us over Sunday for Mother’s Day.
Her response is immediate.
Jenna: Oh darn! I didn’t realize we had plans, so I told Enzo I’d go with him to eat with his parents. I’m sorry.
Me: No worries. I’ll let her know. Love you.
Jenna: Love you too, Dad.
My heart swells. Every time I hear “Dad,” it blows my mind. I’m a father and will soon be a grandfather in less than a year’s time. Funny how life can change in the blink of an eye.
I haven’t tried to text Lauren in a couple of days because I’ve been busy as hell, so I decide now’s a better time than any. I don’t expect a response.
Me: How did your appointment go?
Lauren: Fine.
Rather than firing off a million questions like I want, I head out of the chaos to my midnight black Audi R8 coupe. Sure, Morris has the awesome ass Porsche, but my Audi will always be my baby. I loved it so much, I got Jenna one too. Hers has two more doors than mine. She’s going to need them.
